The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-15
AN AMERICAN CHARACTERISTIC.

AN AMERICAN CHARACTERISTIC.
The current of events has been rapid one
during the past week, and the excitement has
quiet place where the surroundings were
restful. Everybody has wanted to know the
result of the elections and devour all the
details of the taking off of the Anarchists,
and the eager crowds, with hungry looks on
their faces, scanning the bulletins, have
afforded an opportunity to study growing
American characteristic-namely, the craze
to get the latest news.
Men bowed down with years and men in
the prime of life stand in front Of newspaper
offices, and jostle youths and even children in
the mad rush for sensational news. The day
has gone by when the daily paper is satisfy
ing to jewellers in cities. There must be read
not only the morning but the evening paper,
and several editions of the latter to satisfy the
craving for the last scrap of information. The
country people, even. losing the habit of
reading the weekly paper thoroughly and let
ting that suffice. The multiplication of dailies
has made it easy to go to the nearest town
and get paper that contains the latest news.
and the weekly paper seems old to them when
they pick it up. In fact, this tendency in all
classes is growing to be almost disease. It
shows itself in the faces of the surging crowd
waiting to catch the flash Of the Geographic
pleasant impression. It signifies discomfort
a reaching after something not possessed
and its qualification satisfies but temporarily,
like the use of stimulants The hungry,
"what-do-you-know?" look is easily recog-
nized, and is altogether too common.
This tendency is direct outgrowth of the
American characteristic of rushing things
We live too fast, altogether. It is a rare
thing, nowadays to see deliberate person.
young or old. Take a look at the newsboys
who nadly rush about the streets and Chamber
into the bob tail cars. and see the effects of
excitement and hurry on their little faces
They not happy looking, these newsboy
faces; they are pinched and chiseled with
lines of care, not because they
are hungry. cor poor, il-clad,
Jul Uecduso lASy nave LOO Luucn
nervous excitement and always have to be on
the dead rush to get the latest news know
what it is, and sell it off while it is hot. This
would be hard on grown people-it is doubly
so on these little fellows. They will make
prematurely old men, for they using up
their vital forces early in the race, and by and
by they will lack strength to keep up with
the crowd.
Again, look at the children in the public
schools, and see how anxious they appear as
they hurry from their homes in the morning
to get to the school before the door closes on
them. Then see them again after the morn
ing session is over, session SO full of hurry
that they have scarcely time to breathe be-
tween recitations, and note the care-worn
faces, as if they were sorry about something.
They are hurried too much, pushed too hard,
spurred and dashed out OF the slow and nat
ural gait of childhood into the full gallop be-
longing to maturer years, and their minds
and bodies show the effects of it.
And so in nearly everything that Ameri-
cans do there is this tendency to go to ex-
tremes. The news must be the latest, the
trains must be the fastest, the clothes must
be the best, the schools must be where the
children are crowded the hardest, and so Oh
through the list, or we are not satisfied. Is it
the best way7